Last.



E. E. SULLIVAN.

LAST.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1913.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

W'irzesses:

-nr srns A u i LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. in, rare.

Application filed September 24, 1913. Serial No. 791.518.

To allwhomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in lasts, and particularly to lasts which are made in two'sections, and permit foreparts of dilferent styles and shapes to be attached to the heel-part, in which no change in style needs to be made to correspond in the change of the forepart, said lasts being known as making lasts? or lasts on which shoes are made, as distinguished from followers or shaping lasts which are made in sections to permit their removal without placing strain on the shoes.

Prior to my invention various attempts have been made to produce making lasts with interchangeable foreparts, but, so far as I am aware, lasts of thischaracter have not yet been practically employed, principally for the reason, I believe, that the manner of serverance and connection so weakens the last that it will not withstand the continued pounding and strain which is placed thereon during the beating-out operation,

particularly when this operation is performed by hand, as is still the common practice in the manufacture of turned shoes.

The object of my invention is to provide a sectional last in which difi'erent forms of foreparts may be employed, and which is of suflicient strength to withstand the strain of the beating-out operation, so that the last will be practically as durable as if it were not a sectional last, and the advantages of being able to change the style of the last without making it necessary to manufacture a whole last may be secured. I accomplish these objects, in a general way, by so forming the planes of severance between the sections, that the heel-part will form a direct support for the greater portion of the forepart which receives the blows during the beating-out operation, without causing excessive strain on the connecting means.

The particular manner in which I preferably carry out the above object is illustrated .in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a last made according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33, of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 1s a detail sectional view. taken at the hue H, of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail bot tom plan view of the l1eelpart section, and Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the forepart section.

In the drawing the last is shown as comprising a heel-part section a and a fore-part section 7) separated by a planeof severance 02 which extends in approximate parallelism with the bottom of the last, from points adjacent the lower, or front end of the instep portion of the last, rearwardly to points approximately midway of the shank, and a plane of severance 3 which extends from the middle portion of the shank portion of the last, so that it intersects the other plane of severance at an oblique angle thereto. The last, as thus severed, provides the heel-part section with a forwardly projecting supporting portion a, and an upwardly extending abutting and retaining portion a when the last is in the usual inverted position in which it is held during the beating-out operation, as will be hereafter more fully explained.

To secure the sections together I provide a connecting screw 0, which extends through a hole a in the projecting portion of the heel-part section, from a point adjacent the upper end of theinstep portion of the last downwardly in a direction which leads to the ball-portion of the last. The screw 0 is threaded into a ribbed sleeve d which is rigidly secured in a hole or recess in the fore-part portion formed in alinement with a hole 0 so thatwhen the bolt 0 is screwed therein it will firmly clamp the fore-part section against the portion a of the heelpart section. The lower end of the hole in which the sleeve cl is placed is closed by a wooden plug.

The fore-part portion is provided with one or more dowels which are fixed therein between the point where the bolt 0 enters the same and the rear end portion thereof. Said dowels extend nearly parallel to the plane of severence 2, and project into the heel-part section a suitable distance, as shown.

The manner in which the two sections are connected and disconnected will be obvious.

l Vhen the last isused in inverted position during the beating-out operation, the strain tion, tending to break and injure the joint,

will be in a large measure, received by V.

"the fore-part section is largely due to the forwardly projecting support a, which extends horizontally beneath the fore-part sec :tion, and provides a support therefor, be-

yond the ball-portion. During the beating out operation'the fore-part section is, of course, also supported on the toe rest of the jack. This rest is usually somewhat yield ing, and in beating-out the extreme toeportion of the shoe, there is some tendency to throw theshank end of the fore-part section upward with relation to the heel-section, which action is resisted by the slight under cutting of the abutment a As the projection a is clamped firmly on the upper side of the forepart section and the abutment a is held in close'engagernent with the end thereof, said abutment also acts to resist forces tending to throw the shank portion downward.

By placing the dowels closely adjacent .the rear end of the fore-part section the dowels are enabled to strengthen the joint between said sections to the best advantage and assist the screw in causing the fore-part section to be firmly wedged into the space between the portions a and of. The parts are thus securely held together and successfully resist the strain placed thereon by the beating-out operation.

By extending the plane of severance to the middle portion of the shank from which point the shank curves downwardly according to the height of heel to be employed, the same heel-part may be used with fore-parts adapted for heels of widely varying heights, and by extending the plane of severance w to the lower or front end of the instep, the interchangeability of the heel-part will not be interfered with while the advantages hereinbefore referred to will be secured.

I claim 1 1. A two-part making last for shoes consistingof a fore-part and a heel-part section each having two corresponding longitudinal engaging faces, one extending from the upper side of the last at points adjacent the front end of the instep portion, rearwardly, and the other extending upwardly from the shank portion to intersect the first, to provide the heel-part section with a forwardly extending supporting portion for the fore-part section, formed integrally with the said heel-part section, and arranged to sustain the force of the leveling operation on the fore-part section, and detachable connectingmeans for said sections extending from one to the other through said longi tudinal faces, for clamping said corresponding faces in firin engagement, substantially as described.

2. A two-part making last for shoes consisting of a fore-part and a heel-part section each having two corresponding longitu'dinal engaging faces, intersecting at an acute angle, one extending from the upper side of the last at points adjacent the front end of the instep portion, rearwardly, and the other extending upwardly from the shank portion to intersect the first, to provide the heel-part section with a forwardly extending supporting portion for the forepart section, formed integrally with the said heel-part section, and arranged to sustain the force of the leveling operation on the fore-part section and detachable connecting means for said sections extending from one to the other through said longitudinal faces,

for clamping said corresponding faces in firm engagement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof,1 have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

H. B. DAVIS, L. H. HARRIMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

EDWARD E. SULLIYAN. 

